Little Averill Pond (467 acres) is a site for the Vermont LoonWatch annual survey. Birders are encouraged to volunteer as often and whenever they are able. See Join LoonWatch for details.

About Little Averill Lake Natural Area
Little Averill Lake is set in a remote corner of the Northeast Kingdom. With a few camps lining the edges of the 438-acre pond and much of the surrounding land managed for timber, this sandy shoreline natural area inspires an appreciation for the expansiveness of the region. Former Champion Lands flank the eastern edge of the water and the cliffs and talus slopes of Brousseau Mountain loom to the northwest.

Loons, the lake sand beach community, and its adjacent wetland. TNC conserved this land to protect the nesting site for the loons and the lake sand beach community.

There is a northern white cedar swamp and an unusual natural lake sand beach community on the property, which may have been created by the deposition of white sand that was pushed up onto the shore over time by waves and ice. Some of the plants on the beach and the open wetland here include greenwood orchids, round-leaved sundew, bugleweed, and marsh St. Johnswort. There are a number of sedges found in the area and shrubs including sweet gale, mountain holly, and sour-top blueberry.

The lake is surrounded by northern hardwood forest and some mixed hardwood-softwood forest typical of the Northern Forest. Little Averill drains into Great Averill Lake.

The Nature Conservancy’s property on Little Averill Lake includes a documented nesting site for the rare common loon. The Vermont Center for Ecostudies monitors common loon breeding patterns on the pond. Please stay at least 200 feet away from loon nests from May 15 to August 15.

Peregrine falcons nest on nearby Brousseau Mountain, and moose are abundant in the area.

Visitors can put their boats into the water at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife boat access where there is a parking lot.